Improvement in stock-cars



UEITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH LEE, OF BELOIT, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO J.BRITTAN, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STOCK-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 132,088, dated October8, 1872.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH LEE, of Beloit, inthe county of Rock and Stateof Wisconsin, have invented a certain Improvement in Stock- Oars, ofwhich the following is a specification:

My invention relates to railway cars for conveying stock, the objectbeing the comfort of the-animals while being conveyed by rail, andeconomy in the construction and reduction of dead-weight of the car, andthe safety from injury to the persons loading or discharging viciousanimals; and my invention consists: First, the gates revolving ingrooves around the center posts or rods, or hinged to the oppositesides-of the center posts or rods by pintles or similar contrivance, soas to form stalls either half length or full length, and passagewaysalong either or both sides of the car for the ingress or egress of theanimals. Second, the longitudinal and vertical adjustable feed anddrinking troughs, capable of being adjusted to suit various-sizedanimals. Third, the longitudinal and vertical adjustable pipes forconducting food and drink to the troughs above mentioned. Fourth, theadjustable sup porting-stirrups for sustaining the feed and drinkingtroughs. Fifth, the cleated detachable gangway with hinged side boardsarranged to be stowed away beneath the car, and affording, when drawnout and adjusted, a passage for the cattle to board the car.

Description of the Drawing.

Figure l represents a side elevation of a car constructed according tomy invention, the

trucks and running-gear beingremoved. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view ofthe same with the gangway drawn out, and the upper deck partiallyremoved. Fig. 3 is a section on the line a: x of Fig. 2, the upper deckbeing replaced. Figs. 4 and 5 are similar sections of a car to exhibitdifferent methods of hanging the partition or stall-gates.

Like letters of reference made use of in the several figures indicatelike parts.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the same with particularity, making use in so doingof the aforesaid drawing.

I General Description.

Secured to the deck-timbers of the car is a single or double guideway,A, passing above the backs of the animals alongthe whole length of thecar centrally. From this guideway, by means of flat hooks b, or rollers,if preferred, are supported the vertical gate sustaining posts B,provided at the bottom with bolts c, which may be shot into the car-doorto steady the said pillars or posts in position. To these movable postsare hinged, by one of several methods, hereafter indicated, the gates DD', two gates to each post, of a sufficient width when extended to reachthe sides of the car, to which they may be connected by proper bolts,forming stalls to receive the animals to be transported.

Now, when it is desired to load the animals they are driven in at one ofthe central side doors. The stalls at oneend of the car are thrown intothe position shown at the left hand of Fig. 2 of the drawing. The animalproceeds along the open aisle to the last stall, into which itis drivenand the gate closed,

and so on until all the stalls are filled in suc- .i

cession, the stalls being closed as fast as filled. At no time is theremore than asingle stall open, andthe closing of each stall opens thesucceeding one, as will be readily understood upon reference to Fig. 2of the drawing before mentioned. This provides eectually for the safetyof the persons engaged in loading the animals. Where double ways A areemployed the center gate-posts and their attached gates are to bedistributed about equally upon the ways, which are placed parallel andso far apart as to allow the gates and center posts riding upon the waysto pass each other without interference.

When freight is to be carried in the cars the gates may be swung aroundand placed in a line through the center of the car; or they may be movedinto either end of the car flatwise along the ways, being opened atright angles to the ways. A recess, d, is formed in the free edge of thegate D, so that they will swing clear of the feed and drinking troughsat whatever height they may be placed along the sides of the car; and ifdesired a vertical- 2 laatse ly-sliding gate may be attached to the sideof the gates D', above the recess, to slide down and close the recessand enter the trough, so as to divide the interior of the trough intocompartments corresponding to the stalls, preventing the animal fromstriving to get the food in an adjoining stall.

The feed and drinking troughs are made both longitudinally andvertically adjustable, as follows: The troughs E, one for each end ofthe car, are placed preferably upon opposite sides of the car, andimmediately under the water-tanks G carried upon the deck. The troughsare provided along their length with several eyes or loops, e,projecting above the rear upper edge. A rod, f, is passed through theseeyes from end to end, and this rod rests in cleats attached to the carat dii'erent elevations, thus elevating and lowering the trough to suitdifferent kinds of animals. The trough may be swung up or down, or movedfore and aft upon the rods to accommodate the position of the stalls. Itwill be understood that a trough may be made for each separate stall, orthey may be made singly, as shown, without breaking continuity.Thetroughs are to be supported by the rods resting and oscillating inthe cleats, and they may have additional support by means of stirrups H.The vertical shaft 71, of the stirrup is to rest in a socket secured tothe side or floor ofthe car, and passes up through the deck of the caroutside of the water-tanks, so that it may be turned in any direction.The horizontal arm or stirrup H is adjustable upon the`vertical arm, andis turned by the shaft and brought under the bottom ofthe trough, or maybe swung around against the side of the car, so as to be out of the wayof the heads of the animals when the trough is swung upward or downward.

The pipes J, through which both feed and water are conveyed from thedeck to the troughs, are made longitudinally adjustable by means of away, j, upon which the pipe is hung, and

- upon which it slides fore and aft, and are made vertically adjustable,or shortened by telescoping, to suit the height of the trough. By meansofthe fore-and-aft adjustment food and water may be conveyed to any partof the trough. A flexible hose, 7c, communicates between the water-tanksG and the funnel mouth of the pipes J. 'Ihe aperture in the tank openinginto the hose is furnished with a slide-valve or gate, t', to shut offthe supply, as desired.

The interior of the car may be divided into any available number ofadjustable or permanent stalls, and the single or double ways A, centerposts, lips, or rollers, hereinabove described, may be dispensed with inthe following manner: The heel and upper end of the gates may be securedto the door and deck of the car by pivots and sockets, as is shown inFig. 5 ofthe drawing, so that the gates may swing or oscillate near thecenter of the car to form stalls, either half length or full length, ascircumstan ces 1n ay req uire, and passage-ways upon either or bothsides of the car for the egress or ingress of the animals, ashereinabove described; or the center posts or rods to which the gatesare attached, as above described, may be permanently fixed in alinethrough the centerof the car, or they may slide in grooves formed in thefloor and deck of the car, in a line through the center, so as to formstalls and passage-ways, as described. The water-tanks G, of metal orwood, are to be secured to the deck of the car, about six inches fromthe sides. They extend from the front and rear ends of the car, and fromthe right and left hand corners toabout the center of the doors. Thesetanks may be connected by means of a pipe, if desired, passing above orbelow the deck from one tank to the other. The tanks are furnished withhinged lids, to the outer edge of which are attached vertical backsupports g, so that the lids afford convenient seats for the attendantsupon the roof of the car. In case of transporting mounted troops, theseseats may afford place for the troopers whose animals are carried in thecar below. A cleated gangway, M, having folding side rails m, is carriedbeneath the car-door just below the door, and may be withdrawn andadjusted to position, as shown at Fig. 3 of the drawing, when desiredfor the passage of the animals to or from the car, being always at hand.

The method of loading and unloading the animals is, at length, asfollows: Adjust all the center posts and their attached gates upon theways at about proper distances apart to form stalls, with the hip-gatesD standing at right angles to the shoulder-gates D', which latter standacross the car. Half-length stalls and a passage-way along the side ofthe car are thus formed for the ingress of the animals, the entrance toeach half stall being closed by the hip-gate of the stall beyond, excepttwo half stalls--one at each end of the carwhich are open. When animalshave been driven through the passage-ways into these open stalls, swingaround the gates which close the entrance to the adjoining half stalls,and fasten them to the sides of the car by the sliding bolts. now openfor the reception of other animals. In this way all the animals may bequickly and safely loaded, and no animal can turn in the passage-way toinjure the person loading them, nor can any animal get into other thanthe stall designed for it. To discharge the animals, open the car-doors,and two of them will be liberated; then swing around the shoulder-gatesD in succession, beginning at the side of the car-doors, so that theywill stand longitudinally with the car. A passage-way is thus formed forthe egress of the animals in succession. Y

Having thus fully described the construction and operation of myinvention, what I claim, and desire to securel by Letters Patent, is-

The adjoining half stalls arev 4. The revolving adjustable stir-rups H,to give additional support to the drinking and feeding troughs E, incombination with said troughs, substantially as specified.

5. The cleated gangway M with folding side pieces m, arranged to bestowed beneath the car, substantially as specied.

HUGH LEE.

Witnesses:

J. BRITTAN, W. M. BRITTAN.

